Codelco Mine Now Use Electricity Shovel Trucks In An Effort To Reduce Climate Change Impacts

JAKARTA - A large 14-ton electric-powered shoe has started operating at an a century-old copper mine in Chile. This was revealed by the state miner Codelco on Wednesday, November 16. This Shovel became the first major mining tool in an electric-powered South America.

Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, said the loader andhauler equipment, developed by Sweden's producer Epiroc, was the first 100% of its kind to operate in the region.

The use of this tool comes as global leaders meet in Egypt for the COP 27 climate summit to discuss how to reduce the cost and danger of increasing fossil fuel emissions.

The charger, which uses a rechargeable battery, will be tested for a year at Chile's main copper mine, while the company will compare its performance with diesel engines.

"We hope there will be more autonomy with batteries that will allow us to achieve the level of productivity achieved with conventional technology," said Chief Executive Officer Andre Sougarret at project launch.

In one year, the new system is expected to save 433 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and 160,000 liters of diesel consumption. It will also reduce noise and cut maintenance costs by about 60%.

El Tenieente, located on the highlands about 76 kilometers (47 miles) southeast of Chile's capital, produced 459,817 metric tons of copper last year.

In the middle of this year, the mine has also introduced a fleet of electric buses for workers. The program was also carried out three years after the world's first hybrid cargo truck was launched there.

Codelco plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030, as it will appear to meet the targets set by the Chilean government in recent years. The left-wing president, Gabriel Boric, has been working to tighten climate regulations, while investors are increasingly concerned with environmental precautions.